Record year for CAF with almost £480m given to good causes

A record £478 million was distributed to good causes by the Charities Aid Foundation in the past year, figures published today reveal.

The CAF Annual Report shows 2014/15 was a record-breaking year for the charity which helps people and businesses to maximise their giving, and provides financial services to voluntary organisations.

The total amount of money distributed to good causes on behalf of CAF’s donors in 2014/15 was up £35 million on 2013/14.

CAF manages donations on behalf of wealthy philanthropists, thousands of major businesses and hundreds of thousands of people who give through CAF Charity Accounts and through their payroll with Give As You Earn.

Its 2014/15 annual trustee’s report, published today, shows that:

The amount distributed to charities by wealthy philanthropists through CAF increased by 19 per cent to just over £156 million in the past year.

Holders of CAF Charity Accounts – which can be opened by anyone who wants to better organise their giving - gave £100 million to charities. This includes the Gift Aid CAF was able to claim on their behalf.

£70 million was donated by employees of more than 3,000 firms through their payroll as part of Give As You Earn, Britain’s leading payroll giving service.

Corporate donations to good causes from companies working with CAF reached just under £82 million.

The report also details the growing levels of support that CAF has been able to provide to charities in the past 12 months.

Highlights have included:

CAF Bank has lent £20 million to charities, including funding which has helped Christian Life Ministries with the financing of the Welcome Conference Centre and Church in Coventry and loans to several housing associations to help them build new affordable homes.

CAF’s social investment arm Venturesome has supported another 23 social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations seen as too high-risk by high street banks. This included supporting Interhealth to create a new base in Nairobi to provide vital medical and psychological support to health workers travelling to tackle Ebola.

More than 820 charities and business were brought together for #GivingTuesday as the global campaign to promote giving came to the UK for the first time. CAF will be co-ordinating #GivingTuesday in the UK for a second time on December 1 this year.

CAF Chief Executive John Low said:

“CAF supported thousands of companies and hundreds of thousands of individuals to give expression to their huge generosity in supporting many great causes over the past year.

“CAF exists to encourage people to give and to support the important work of charities. The hundreds of millions of pounds which we have been able to distribute to good causes over the last year will provide a lifeline for vital work being undertaken by charities in the UK and further afield, from medical research, reaching out to vulnerable people and building new homes to supporting the arts, culture and sport, as well as caring for animals in need.

“Charities have not escaped the consequences of global economic conditions, and as a result have had a difficult few years during which demand for their services has risen steeply. It has never been more important to encourage people to give and to maximise the impact of their generosity.

“Over the next 12 months CAF will continue striving to encourage people to give ever more generously and effectively to good causes.”